Tom, 40
So, I met this guy Mike
when I signed up for an online group coaching program. I didn’t realize at the time that he would pretty much change my life, and that I’d be writing a testimonial about myself. Which to me is crazy, but let’s back up a bit.
There was a point in my life where I weighed close to 300 pounds. This was back around the turn of the millennium. Once I realized that the world was not going to end (and I flat-out refused to buy size 44 pants), I decided to lose weight. I ran. A lot. I starved myself. I lost over 100 pounds. But I wasn’t healthy. Since then, my weight has constantly bounced back and forth (insert stereotypical dieting yo-yo analogy here). Then, three years ago I decided to join a gym. I learned that I could substitute the word ‘yo-yo’ with the words ‘cutting’ and ‘bulking’. But I wasn’t doing it right. As soon as I would lose some weight, I’d be afraid of losing the gainzzzz. As soon as would gain some muscle, I’d see that fat coming back on with it. I’d then panic, and switch gears. I was stuck in a cycle of my own creation.
So, now we’re all caught up, and back to this guy Mike. After the group coaching ended, I asked Mike if he’d consider signing me on as a one-on-one client. He accepted. My weight had crept back up to almost 230 pounds at that point, so Mike and I both agreed that fat loss was the priority, but to do so in a way that preserves as much of the muscle as we could. So, at the end of December 2013, we were off and running. Frequent check-ins (sometimes daily), monthly program modifications based on progress, and all of the encouragement and insight I could need, whenever I needed it.
Over the months, Mike has done much more than simply teach me what to eat and what to lift. He’s changed the way I think. About dieting. About working out. About myself. I know Mike insists on putting all of the credit on the client, but if it wasn’t for him steering the ship, I’d still be flip-flopping back and forth between bulking and cutting, and going absolutely nowhere. He’s put up with my panic attacks, he’s guided me through my bouts of self doubt, he’s told me to shut the fuck up at exactly the times I needed someone to do so. He’s saved me from myself. I’m wrapping up my lengthy cut in a few weeks, having lost over 30 pounds and almost 8 inches off my belly. Oh, and the body fat? Down 14%. It’s time to switch gears for awhile, and it’s great knowing that Mike will continue to be there to keep me going in the right direction.
.